


When demigods attempt mortal cliches... (aka  'what happens in high school stays in high school')

by CheetahLeopard2



Series: Mortals & Demigods [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Demigods, High School, M/M, Mortals & Demigods, Nico is from the 30s, Vaccines, yugoslavia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26053348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheetahLeopard2/pseuds/CheetahLeopard2
Summary: Will goes back to his hometown for high school.When he came to the school in the middle of sophomore year, there were whispers.Many were because, despite his cheery exterior, his charisma, there’s a tight set to his jaw and a weary glint in his eyes.(They don’t know he sometimes cries himself to sleep- wakes up screaming. But they can guess.)But the rest were because of how his southern accent, thickening every day, was small buttherewhen he came. Were because despite the fact that he’s been in New York for half his life, there’s definitely a small photo of him, gap-tooth smile and summer-sky-blue eyes, in the elementary school yearbook of most of the kids who live in the small town in the outskirts of Austin and go now to the same school as one another (one more ‘other’ than they realize).The rest were because, as the student body quickly put two-and-two together, Will Solace isback.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: Mortals & Demigods [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900327
Comments: 27
Kudos: 273





	When demigods attempt mortal cliches... (aka  'what happens in high school stays in high school')

**Author's Note:**

> Hi yes hello! I hope y'all enjoy.  
> Disclaimer: I am neither Texan nor from a small school, so please excuse any illogical things pertaining to Will's home area or how the school works. Thank you

When he came to the school in the middle of sophomore year, there were whispers.

Many were because, despite his cheery exterior, his charisma, there’s a tight set to his jaw and a weary glint in his eyes.

(They don’t know he sometimes cries himself to sleep- wakes up screaming. But they can guess.)

But the rest were because of how his southern accent, thickening every day, was small but _there_ when he came. Were because despite the fact that he’s been in New York for half his life, there’s definitely a small photo of him, gap-tooth smile and summer-sky-blue eyes, in the elementary school yearbook of most of the kids who live in the small town in the outskirts of Austin and go now to the same school as one another (one more ‘other’ than they realize).

The rest were because, as the student body quickly put two-and-two together, Will Solace is _back_.

* * *

Will is aware of the whispers that follow him through the halls of the small-ish 400-kid high school that all of the kids in the area attend.

It’s not as though he expected to slip back into the system unnoticed, especially when all of the kids at his school know each other, having gone to all the same schools growing up. It had been a big deal in elementary school when he left, according to his mom.

Especially since she hadn’t gone with him.

He’s honestly surprised no one’s asked him about his years-long disappearance yet.

It’s not as though he hasn’t made (or, in some cases, re-made) friends.

Today, he’s sitting with Amelia and Brandon. They don’t always go to the nearby ice cream shop, but today is sweltering.

Will can stand the heat, being the son of the sun god, but honestly preferred the more mellow summer days, with a nice, cool breeze. If you ask him, 105 degrees F is just overkill.

The heat is making everyone a bit irritable, which is probably why Brandon is trying to get their minds off it by pestering Amelia about her crush on Lester, a boy in the grade above them who’s in her bio class. Luckily, they’re the only customers there, because everyone else chose to stay in the air-conditioned cafeteria at school rather than walk.

Will, honestly, is zoning out, picking at his soggy fries.

“So what about you, Will?” jolts him back into the conversation.

“Huh?” he asks, and Amelia rolls her eyes.

“Do you have anyone you have your eye on?” Brandon asks again, and Will shrugs with a laugh.

“My boyfriend doesn’t go here.”

Amelia and Brandon freeze, “Okay, wait, back up,” Brandon says, twirling his index fingers in a ‘rewind’ signal, “First, so many people are gonna be upset that you’re off the table. Second, why have we not heard of him?”

“Wait what?” Will asks, confused, “Why’d they be upset?”

Amelia rolls her eyes again, “Okay so. Everyone who goes here knows each other and there’s usually at least some drama around relationships and then you come back. Everyone knows enough about you to know you’re a chill guy but you’re still pretty mysterious and again, not tangled in the drama. Also, you left before puberty and romance and all that and came back hotter than anyone expected. Understand?”

Will just stares, processing.

Brandon sighs, “Like okay, we get you went to live with your dad or whatever and you’re back for some reason, but that’s like. All rumors. All we know for sure is New York, because that’s what your mom said. Ergo, mysterious,” he then waves his hand up and down at Will and continues, “Ergo, hot.”

“I didn’t go live with my dad,” Will corrects, only a bit bitterly.

“Oh? Are we finally unlocking Will’s level-three tragic backstory?” Amelia leans forward in her seat and steals one of Will’s sadly cold fries.

Will blanches, “Not the tragic one, no,” he forces a laugh.

Brandon and Amelia exchange a look, but shrug, “Continue.”

“I went to live at a camp in New York,” Will says, “That’s where I’ve been. My boyfriend goes there too. That’s really it.”

“I don’t believe that there’s nothing that happened in the last 8 years, but like. Go off I guess.”

Will laughs, internally trying his best not to say anything silly, like ‘only two wars.’

The conversation turns back to Amelia’s crush on Lester, and Will pulls out his phone (monster-proofed by the Hephaestus cabin) when it starts vibrating in his pocket.

“Will here,”

_“Hey Will, it’s Kayla.”_

Will sits up straight in his seat, excited grin on his face, “Howdy sis, what’s up?” He ignores Amelia and Brandon mouthing ‘sis?’ to each other.

“ _Nico showed up after one of the jobs for his dad,”_

Will stiffens instantly, “Did something happen? Is he hurt?”

“ _No! No, uh. Just, well. Do you know if Nico’s vaccinated?”_

 _“_ What?”

“ _He doesn’t know if you had him vaccinated and for what so…”_

Will digs through his memory, “Just what’s in his chart.”

“ _Right uh so, he was born in 1932 right? He went into the Lotus in the late 1930s and they didn’t exactly do vaccines… I think his immune system is alright because of exposure to people who wandered in over time, but his vaccination record…”_

Will slams his head into the lunch table, “He has to do. Everything except the most recent flu vaccine because I had him do that before I left.” Will raises his head from the table and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly, “Let me talk to Nico, please.”

Amelia raises an eyebrow at him, mouthing ‘speaker?’, and Will frowns, but lets her take the phone and put it on speaker, in the middle of the table.

“Hey, tesoro,” Nico’s voice is bright and excited, “Did you know that they fixed polio?”

Will slams his head on the table again. Nico keeps going.

“And the flu! And whooping cough! And rubella! And apparently measles, which I didn’t know is a thing!”

“You realize you have to get one or more shots for everything, right?” Will sighs into the table.

There’s silence, before, “It can’t be worse than Lycaon scratches right?”

“You have the worst baseline for pain I’ve ever seen,” Will lifts his head from the table to say frankly.

“Listen, everything about this century is super cool but also surprising. Next thing I know you’re going to tell me something ridiculous like,” Will mouths ‘help me’ at Amelia and Brandon as Nico pauses, trying to think of something, “I dunno, Yugoslavia doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Dude,” Brandon deadpans, and Will goes back to hitting his head on the table.

“Oh,” Nico goes silent for a moment, “Who’s this?”

“Will’s friends from school, I’m Amelia,” Amelia introduces herself.

“And I’m Brandon,” Brandon pauses, “I’m about to ruin your day, but Yugoslavia does not, in fact, exist anymore. It was dissolved after WWII.”

Nico curses, muttering “You miss 70 years and suddenly the world goes to shit,” in Ancient Greek.

Will laughs, finally finished banging his head on the table. There’s a red spot on his forehead. “Alright, drama queen. You have to get vaccinated, but we can’t do everything all at once unless your dad decides to be very kind and just. Fix it.”

Nico hums on the other end of the line, “He probably won’t, but ‘Seph might.”

Will waves his hands, “Yeah, okay, that’ll never stop being weird but ask her. I’ve got to go because lunch is nearly over.”

“Alright,” Nico says, reluctance clear in his voice, “I might pop in next week depending where dad sends me. Love you.”

“Love you too, Sunshine,” Will smiles, before hanging up.

“So many questions,” Amelia sighs.

“So little time,” Brandon adds, “Class starts in 10.”

“Shit,” Will and Amelia chorus, sweeping papers back into their bags before they dash for the school.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment!! Thank you


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